Dr Anthony Tetteh flanked by executives of KNUST Debate Society
THE Director of Sports at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Anthony Tetteh, has called for the debate culture to be entrenched in schools as it offers strong academic foundation for students.
According to him, debate does not only afford the opportunity to work on public speaking, but also offers an engaging and relevant output to promote a culture of tolerance and create a generation of forward thinking and thoughtful leaders.
Speaking at the launch of Pan-African University Debate Championship (PAUDC) in Kumasi, Dr Tetteh said it is critical for the nation to equip its young adults with debating skills in these democratic times where tools of rhetoric, consensus building and dialogue are shaping the world.
The KNUST Sports Director disclosed that this was why the University had always wholeheartedly supported debate, “not just in lip service, but by making far reaching decision to entrench debate culture in our university.”
He encouraged the students to remember they are not arguing, they are debating – attacking the argument and not the person.
The KNUST is hosting this year’s PAUDC, which is the biggest intercollege debate championship in Africa, established in 2008 by the University of Botswana Debate Masters Association (UBDMA).
Joel Telfer, coordinator of PAUDC, stated that 400 students across Africa would be taking part of the debate, which uses British parliamentary format.
According to him, the debate is a competition that is modeled on Africa unity and identity with the theme: “Changing the Africa narrative.”
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi